New Hampshire is one of those states that can be hard to pick out on a map unless you already live in the New England area. For one thing, New Hampshire and Vermont are easy to get confused. But once you pinpoint its exact location, you’ll find that New Hampshire is a small, quirky state with plenty to offer. Here are five rock-solid reasons to visit The Granite State.
Hampton Beach
Yes, New Hampshire has a coastline. It’s the shortest coastline of any state, although experts can’t quite agree on how long it is. The state says 18.57 miles, so we’ll go with that. But New Hampshire packs a ton of fun into its short coastline, regardless of how you measure it. Stroll along the boardwalk and go shopping, or head to the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom to take in a live show.
Just don’t forget to spend some time on the actual beach as well. Calling it pristine would be an understatement, as Hampton Beach State Park has some of the cleanest water in the country. The Natural Resources Defense Council granted it “superstar” status in 2013.
The Covered Bridges Tour
Bridges are neat and all, but they’ve got nothing on covered bridges. This is an easy to way to explore some of the natural beauty that New Hampshire has to offer. There’s a certain romance to these structures, partly because they were once known as “kissing bridges.”
New Hampshire isn’t exactly known for its mild weather, so the bridges had to be covered as a way to shield them from snow and other harsh elements. There are 54 covered bridges in the state. Visiting them all is a challenge unless you’ve got a week, but we recommended picking out a few and making a day of it.
Story Land
New Hampshire is a small state with a big sense of fun. No where is that more evident than in Story Land, a children’s theme park located in the small town of Bartlett. It’s the perfect place to take the kids. They can ride the Roar-o-Saurus, which is just as ferociously fun as it sounds. For something a little less wild, check out the antique German carousel.
Before going on your trek to Story Land, make sure your phone and cameras are in tip-top shape. Be sure you can use your phone to record videos as well as to take photos of your kids having dinner with characters like Cinderella and Duke the Dragon. You will want to remember Story Land, send pictures to family, and upload your videos to social media! You’ll find plenty of AT&T stores in New Hampshire where you can make updates to your phone or purchase a new one that has more options. If you want more certainty, you can purchase accessories such as chargers and cases to make sure your phone is always ready to go and is well-protected.
Concord
Concord is the state capital of New Hampshire. Its population is a little over 40,000, which makes it one of the smallest capital cities in the United States. But you can find a lot to occupy yourself here, especially if you’re interested in politics. In that case, you need to check out the New Hampshire State House. If science is more your thing, get tickets to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. It’s named after two astronauts from New Hampshire: Alan Shepard and Christa McAuliffe.
American Classic Arcade Museum
This is a must-see attraction if you have any gamers in your family, or even if you just grew up playing Space Invaders at your local pizza parlor. It was founded in 1998, and now it’s the largest arcade in the world. If you don’t believe us, check with the Guinness Book of World Records. You’ll find almost 200 games here, including pinball machines with a Harlem Globetrotters theme.